Starting A Piece In The Thick Of The Action
Some topics work best when presented in a formal manner, easing the reader into the subject by a subtle introduction and expanding as they go further. Other times, however, a piece can make the most impact when told right in the middle of the action.
News pieces are excellent materials for beginning with this type of introduction. A write-up about a crowd incident at a basketball game, for instance, should do very well when written in this manner. Beginning the article with an account of the events happening among the crowd should prove more compelling to read than talking about the logistics of the game.
Many narratives are written this way, too. Instead of laying the foundation for the story, you take the reader right into the middle of the plot, filling in the missing details later on as the rest of the material unfolds. Instead of telling the story from the beginning, laying all the background down, you throw the reader into the plot, setting a fast pace for the remainder of the story.
This type of introduction works with many types of fiction and non-fiction, not just the ones above. Any type of subject, in fact, can be treated in this manner, with varying degrees of effectiveness, dependent on both the actual story and the writer (not to mention, the quality of their grammar checker).
If you want to try it for yourself, plan out your work so that your introduction will begin as close as possible to the end of the action. So as to keep the suspense, you should also stop as quickly as you can, providing just enough to whet the reader’s appetite.